1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for initiating configuration of a communication network formed of n ring-shaped networks arranged in parallel and comprising changing transmission equipment, the communication network having at least three subscriber equipments respectively connected to the n ring-shaped networks and being equipped with n access equipments which serve for respective network access. At least a single ring-shaped network is configured with switch and control devices provided therein, as well as with further control devices, and of respective subscriber equipment given interruptions of at least two ring-shaped networks comprising opposite transmission directions. The configuration is formed from the intact ring network parts by connecting that respective ring line of a ring-shaped network or, respectively, sub-ring network that is incoming in terms of transmission direction to that ring line of the respectively other ring-shaped network or, respectively, sub-ring network in the appertaining subscriber equipment that is outgoing in terms of transmission direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The German published application 33 43 692, fully incorporated herein by this reference, discloses a telecommunications system wherein n ring lines are arranged and at least three subscriber stations or, respectively, subscriber equipment are inserted into the ring lines. Each subscriber equipment has n access equipment each of which is formed of a ring or loop switching matrix connected to the ring line and of a ring or loop control equipment. The access of the subscriber equipment onto the respective ring line is controlled and monitored in the access equipment. In cooperation with control equipment of the access equipment, higher-ranking central control devices in the subscriber equipment coordinate the access equipment with one another and are responsible for processing internal subscriber equipment procedures, for example data editing. Given malfunctions of the ring lines, for example line interruption, outage of the ring switching matrix, etc., what are referred to as "loop back" connections (ring loop lines) can be controlled with the higher-ranking control devices and with the control devices present in the access equipment and with the assistance of connections that are arranged between the access equipment. The ring line of a ring-shaped network that is incoming in terms of transmission direction is thereby connected to the ring line of another ring-shaped network that is outgoing in terms of transmission direction. Given interruption of two ring-shaped networks, one or more smaller ring-shaped networks can be configured from those ring network portions that are still intact with the assistance of these "loop back" connections. Under certain conditions, ring-shaped networks formed in this manner no longer include all subscriber equipment in a communications exchange, but communication with one another is enabled for at least a respective portion of the subscriber equipment. Which subscriber equipment the "loop back" connections are to control must then be decided from malfunction-to-malfunction by the subscriber equipment with error analysis procedures that are involved in terms of software and time expense.